Outsourcing (Mission) [Izumi/Kaede]

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me It was always a frustrating thing, trying to figure out what was going on inside someone else's head. It was never a skill that Izumi had been particularly adept at, and never one that she'd really attempted to improve as it had always come off as something of an inborn talent than anything else. Some people had that talent, and almost seemed born to play the roles that came with it - politician, mediator, teacher. And despite her father's best efforts it had never been an area that Izumi had wanted to improve in when she'd been growing up. When it came right down to it people sucked, and that was something Izumi had accepted from an early age. Not that she was any better than most, although there were a few good gems among the bunch, but that was neither here nor there. She was good at one thing, fighting, and that was something the kunoichi took a fair amount of pride in. So why was she being sent outside of Mizu no Kuni, and to a neighboring village no less? When the assignment had first come down it had sounded like a simple enough affair and one that she'd even enjoy. Go to place, kick some ass, pick up a few trinkets for the employer and head home. No muss, no fuss and a bit of entertainment all in one neat little package. A few fair warnings included, sure, but what fun was there to be had without a bit of challenge? Frankly it was the kind of job that Izumi had always excelled in even since her genin days - one incident that would not be spoken of aside - and something she felt she probably could've handled alone after several years of experience and improvement. She wasn't the same person she was as a genin. Which begged another question, and one directly tied to the current predicament. Had it been up to Izumi she'd have gone to the place the bandits were last sighted, done a bit of information gathering on site and taken care of the problem within a day or two once she felt enough effort had been put into preparations. The mission briefing had provided a fair bit in that regard. When the mission assignment had come down she hadn't been the only one put on the job. Nor, for that matter, the one put in charge of it. Thus it hadn't really been Izumi's call to take a detour into Yugakure itself for a meeting with the Lord that had put the job request out, something she largely saw as pointless. Despite being an acquired skill, though, Izumi knew when to keep her mouth shut. Dressed in her usual white gi and hakama work clothing with her hair tied back and looped over her shoulders, the kunoichi sat in a corner of the waiting room, arms stuffed into her gi's sleeves and crossed to match her legs. Given Yu no Kuni's state of affairs it was no surprise that the Lord had been busy and unable to immediately meet with them on arrival, and shuffled into what basically amounted to a waiting room until he was available. It'd been probably about forty minutes since then, and while Izumi's eyes were closed and her demeanor relaxed the woman was hardly sleeping - more than anything it was more of an excuse not to talk. If half the rumors were true about the other kunoichi put in charge of the mission it was probably for the best that opportunities for potential discord were avoided, particularly given Izumi's current disagreements with how things were being handled. Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

Kaede had two hands behind her head while her leg was crossed over the other, as her head looked up at the ceiling. Her bamboo hat was tilted up so she could get a better view. Her eyes slid to the corners to catch a quick glimpse at the other kunoichi who was next to her, assuming she was already asleep. Kaede's eyes then switched back to the ceiling, releasing a silent sigh in the process.

Kaede wanted to go for a smoke while she waited, but it wouldn't exactly be appropriate for her to do so, especially when it involves waiting for an authority figure to return. The last thing she'd want is disgust from the Lord of Yugakure from Kaede's smoky scent. Not that she'd really care, but it was all about first impressions and representing her village (in a way), so she'd have to be on her best behavior.

The nation has been undergoing a bandit problem, to be general, and it was up to her and another kunoichi by her side to help solve it. That kunoichi just so happened to be the host of the six tailed beast, Rokubi. However, not much interest was shown from Kaede. Personally, she thought it was a mission she can handle on her own, but nothing like a meat shield to help her out.  Though jokes asides (well, maybe a joke), Kaede was the one in charge so she had to act like it.

Kaede herself felt like she could doze off at any moment. She was no light sleeper, but she'd admit she was getting a little tired of waiting. She can only hope she ends up waiting for even most of the day for the Lord to meet with the two.

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me As the seconds slowly continued to tick by into minutes and the end of the first hour started to approach Izumi did little to change the current dynamic of the room. All things considered, quiet was generally preferable to most alternatives and she was quite comfortable sitting on the tatami mat. It wasn't often that she was able to simply relax and let her mind wander, and despite the earlier irritation with the overall circumstances surrounding the "why" of their visit it wasn't turning out to be all that unpleasant of an experience. As far as Izumi herself was concerned, anyways. While she wasn't able to really get much of a read on Kaede - particularly with her eyes closed - there was a general air of impatience in the room, but then again that might not have been the other woman at all. While he tended to remain silent for the vast majority of the time Izumi had always been aware of Saiken to some extent since their first conversation during her genin years. His mood, his attitude, opinions on current conversations, his emotions to some extent just as much as Izumi suspected he was of her's. From what little she knew of him patience wasn't one of his strong points, although she could hardly blame the Biju in that regard if all he knew of the outside world was what she herself did. Point being, though, that it wasn't always easy to discern where certain things came from. It was much as someone could sense outright anger from another without speaking to them, and at times difficult to tell if it was from Saiken she felt such things or another person in the room. Not that it really mattered, especially after the door to their room slid aside to reveal one of the Lord's retainers. "We apologize for the wait, the Lord is able to see you now." Shifting her neck a bit with a quiet pop as joints made stiff from the better part of an hour spent resting against a wall slid back into the proper place, Izumi stood as readily as one might've expected from a person who'd been wide awake. Arms still stuffed into their opposite sleeves and folded in front of her, however, the kunoichi would pause by the door, wordlessly waiting for the other woman in the room to stand up and take the lead. Speaking wasn't really necessary - the expression on Izumi's face, while, neutral and not disrespectful, made her feelings fairly obvious. Kaede was the one in charge and the one who'd made the call to take this detour, she'd be the one at the lead and doing the talking. Izumi was perfectly content to remain in the background and the less attention drawn to her, the better. At least for now. If Kaede wanted something done that required a heavier hand or just straight up violence then that'd be a different story entirely, and likely a request that Izumi would be more than happy to see to. Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

Kaede tilted her head to the direction of where the voice came from. The door was opened and the Lord was waiting to see the two. About damn time. She thought as she got up from her seat. She stretched her arms over her head and twisted her back to relieve all the tension she was getting when she was sitting down. As if the Lord couldn't take any longer than he should. Five or ten minutes was one thing. Forty? Despicable.

Once she was done stretching, Kaede hasted herself pass the other kunoichi who waited for her to enter first and then into the room. The restrainer that stood in front of the door stepped to the side for the woman "Thank you." She said to the restrainer with a nod. Kaede fixed her hat so she could get a better view of the room and the Lord himself.

"Excuse me." Kaede announced in formal language as she walked a little further into the room. While she did so, Kaede bowed to show her respect to the Lord as she entered. She could only hope that the other girl would also show her respects to the Lord. The last thing she needed was to look bad and somehow take responsibility for it. Kaede knew, or at least hoped, that it wouldn't be the case.

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me Izumi wasn't entirely sure what she had been expecting as she moved to follow Kaede out of the room, but it probably wasn't what came next. The room that they stepped into was barely any larger than the one the two women had been waiting in before. Far more cramped, in fact, as numerous scrolls and other documents were neatly stacked in what had clearly been converted into a working space with a low desk dominating the center of the room. Seated behind it was someone who could've easily been mistaken for any of the retainers or other staff that had been moving about the building earlier that day - an elderly man, dark hair streaked silver either out of age or stress and clad only in dark green traditional clothing. Whispering into his ear was another staff member, one who evidently had enough of his attention that the Lord was very nearly delayed in noticing the two women entering the room. As Kaede bowed to the Lord Izumi would silently do the same, although remaining a few steps behind and hopefully avoiding attention as she did. "I apologize for the wait. Domestic concerns have been trying as of late but that's hardly an excuse for guests, much less those we've asked for assistance. Please, sit." The Lord said, finally turning his direct attention to the two women and motioning to the mats opposite his side of the desk. Despite the man's formal wording, however, his demeanor was a friendly one if somewhat marred by obvious fatigue. While Izumi would throw something of a hesitant glance to Kaede as she hadn't banked on anything approaching a direct dialogue with their employer the kunoichi would nevertheless reluctantly move forward to take the offered seat, not wishing to make things more awkward than she already felt they were. "How can I help you? We've provided the information we'd been able to gather in the mission briefing sent to Kirigakure, but if there's anything else that might've been left out we'd be happy to provide it, at least to the best of our abilities. Gathering intelligence has proven difficult under the current circumstances, I'm afraid." Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

"No need to apologize, my Lord. You need to take care of village matters first, anyhow." Kaede mentioned in an ungainly matter. What she really wanted to say was kept inside of her head. The last thing she wanted to do was to use her bluntness to make herself look bad, along with the other kunoichi who stood silent the entire time. Despite such a worry, Kaede found him less strict than she thought, which was a plus for her. Other than that, Kaede would've made some grim glances here and there.

Taking the offered seat, Kade placed both hands on her knees as she was making herself a little comfortable. Kaede took a silent but heavy breath followed by a quick exhale. She could only hope that she can officially start her mission alongside the other girl. The idea of responsibility was something Kaede never taken to heart. However, since she was the one leading the mission, she had no choice but to do so.

When asked about any additional information that must be known, Kaede took another deep breath. "Well these bandits," She started off. "How often do they strike, or rather what's their pattern like?"

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me Evidently Izumi wasn't the only one who found herself uncomfortable with any sense of formality as the young woman couldn't help noticing the slight stiffness to the older Jonin's voice. It was something Izumi was quite familiar with - the struggle of keeping on script and not blurting things out, and the discomfort that came with simply not knowing how to handle unwanted attention. There wasn't much call for shinobi services in general during an era of peace, and along with that came a fair amount of pressure to keep clients happy. That much was something Izumi understood, at least - it was a buyer's market for lack of a better term, and if the Lord here was dissatisfied with how things were handled it was entirely possible for him to contact the other two nations to the north or south instead. Despite her earlier misgivings about being assigned a superior for this mission Izumi was suddenly very glad that she wasn't the one in the spotlight now. Not that the man sitting across from them made an attempt to call attention to the awkwardness of the situation - rather, he seemed to smoothly sail right past it as if it were casual conversation. "That's part of the issue, they don't. We're not entirely sure what they're doing." The Lord said, glancing to the only other individual left in the room with a slight hand gesture at which the attendant would fetch one of the documents buried towards the far edges of the cluttered space. On returning and laying it upon the table over the other papers the Lord would take a moment to smooth it out, revealing a map of the nation and its various roads and towns. While there were many, many smaller marks made on the map along the highways there were far fewer that didn't seem to follow that pattern - rather, they seemed to mark locations of little value outside of towns and cities with a fair number deep in the undeveloped wilderness. "Gathering information has been difficult largely because this group hasn't been accosting our roads and highways, it wasn't until locals from nearby towns began complaining of vagrants and altercations that we were aware there was a problem. Longer still for our scouts to find anything of note, and by the time we had an idea of what these people were doing and where to search they knew we were looking into things. As far as we can tell they've been setting up their camps on old battlefields from the previous era. They've made a habit of attacking anyone who gets close enough to investigate but rarely give chase once driven off, so we can only assume their goal is the battlefields themselves, likely robbing anything of worth left by the dead." The Lord continued, indicating the isolated markings on the map. "We'd hoped that hiring someone other than our own shinobi would allow a different approach to the problem as they've gotten used to our tactics, and Kirigakure has developed something of a reputation for handling things quietly and without undue fuss. As far as we can tell the last camp we'd heard of was closest to your own borders as well, here. I trust that should allow for something of a home field advantage?" Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

Kaede watched the Lord take out a map of the country and spread it out. What she noticed was markings of the bandits' attacks. It looked scattered, she would think. Kaede, for the most part at the moment, was damned. It looked scattered with no trace of consistency, but they did share a common trait of being outside the towns and the likes.

Huh, so these guys like to rob dead people. That's new. She thought as she tried to hide her smirk. Her thought remained in her head, but it was something she would've blurted out as a joke; a joke that couldn't get a good response, nor make Kaede look good. She'd ask why, though the answer would be as obvious as holding some sort of value for money. Or at least that's what she'd assume was one of the answers. Not to mention that this was an ongoing crime to top it all off.

"Of course. I don't think they'd expect Kirigakure shinobi to inspect the problem anyway, so this definitely gives on an advantage." Kaede informed. "I believe we have enough information to start, but is there anything else we need to know before we head off?" To be truthful, Kaede just wanted to get out of her. She couldn't handle the atmosphere and the idea of trying to be sophisticated. The sooner this is over, the sooner she could get out with the other kunoichi.

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me So, nothing much beyond what they'd already been told in the mission briefing back in Kirigakure. There was the bit about the brigands not bothering to stake out the roads or go after the towns that bothered Izumi, but she largely wrote it off as just being uncomfortable with them not following the usual script. Truthfully speaking it wasn't a bad idea. Few people were going to bother hanging around old battlefields when most villages and governments no longer cared - they were little more than graveyards, and with how many people had died or simply gone missing during the Warring States period it wasn't likely that anyone really knew who had died on a given one anymore. No visitors, no guards and plenty of scrap metal or weapons that could be scavenged on the cheap and then either sold as junk or retooled for your own people at next to nothing for cost. Izumi had never had much flair for business - much to her father's disappointment - but she knew a good racket when she saw one. "Just advice, avoid fighting them until you're ready. As far as our scouts could tell there are no shinobi among them but the group seemed fairly organized and quick to react to outside intrusion, it was largely what kept our people from finding out more than they did. At the very least they've had some degree of training and are unusually professional for their current line of work." The Lord replied, carefully rolling the map back up and handing it to the aide. As it was returned to its previous place at the far end of the room the man would turn his attention back towards Kaede, expression finally betraying only the slightest hint of fatigue as he began speaking again. "I know it's not the most ideal of circumstances but it's the best we've been able to accomplish thus far. Had the problem not arisen for another handful of years it's likely that our own people would be able to contain and handle it, but as of right now we find ourself reliant on the services of others. I'm fairly certain it was mentioned in the request made to your village but it's preferable that anything recovered from these historical sites not be damaged, and if possible for the leaders of this group to be captured rather than killed. Given their unusual behavior we'd very much like to know what they've been doing inside our borders." Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

The bandits weren't shinobi, so this did give Kaede and the other kunoichi an upperhand. Kaede almost felt like she could be cocky. The idea of them being professionals, however, could make things a little more interesting. She wasn't sure of how many bandits the two were going to encounter, so a plan would definitely be need. Especially if it requires bringing back the leader alive, much to Kaede's dismay.

"Understood." Kaede said. She could tell the Lord was getting tired and frankly enough, so was Kaede. However, she didn't plan on showing it. Getting up from the mat, Kaede then proceeded to fix her bamboo hat. "We'll be sure to fix the problem as soon as we can and make sure nothing gets damaged and we bring back the leader alive." She explained. "Safe" would've been added, but there was no guarantee the leader would be brought back well and healthy. "I wish you the best of luck with handling other village duties in the meantime."

With that said, Kaede would add a formal bow to the Lord then proceeded to straighten her back afterwards. She'd expect the other kunoichi to do the same. Not exactly a great way to end such a conversation, but it was better than what Kaede had in mind. Formality was never a skill she mastered even with common sense on her side. She was only glad she ended the conversation there.

Kaede would then make her way to the door, only releasing a heavy sigh of release once she was out of the room. I never want to do that again.

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me Even as the other shinobi beside her became concerned by the "take them alive" order, it was nothing short of a relief for Izumi and words that brought at least some comfort back, her shoulders visibly relaxing. For most it would have been an unwelcome development, a wrinkle in an otherwise easy job that would add an unwanted level of difficulty and potential complication - it was far easier to just wipe out a group of people than to try and take a resisting force alive without being injured or dying yourself. Especially with a trained group of individuals as it often only meant they'd get another chance to try and kill you. These were all things that Izumi was well aware of and that had repeatedly instilled in her by her grandfather - he'd lost an eye because he'd shown such mercy when he was her age now, and it was something he had been quick to remind her of. Were it him here and now? He'd likely be just as dismayed as Kaede was, even if it didn't show. Were it up to him he would've gladly killed every last one of them in all likelihood. Chalk it up to being a product of better years and a more peaceful era, but Izumi had never gotten over just the idea of it herself, much less the act. She had no qualms about fighting and causing pain if it meant everyone walked away, hell, often she loved just the thrill that came with combat all on its own, the sheer adrenaline rush. So to be told that killing wasn't going to be necessary here? Music to her ears. As the meeting came to a close and Kaede offered her parting condolences, Izumi herself giving a respectful nod and small bow to the Lord, both kunoichi would leave the room. The Jinchuriki in particular of a far better mood than when they'd walked into the chamber - while it was small there was at least a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Kaede had gotten the meeting she'd wanted, and supposedly the information she needed. That should just leave one thing next, and admittedly the part Izumi had been looking forward to since the start. "So, that's done. What next boss lady?" Izumi finally said, tone casual as she glanced at the back of the older Jonin's head. Displeasure aside, no doubt the other woman had a plan or at least an idea as to how she wanted to carry out the next part of the job, and fun as it might be to start a brawl and see how quickly they could deal with all of the mercs... chances are that probably wouldn't end well. Mercs, not bandits. Once Izumi stopped to think about it that was probably a more fitting phrase if these guys weren't just shaking down people for money. They weren't shinobi and certainly didn't act with the same subtlety, but at the same time if someone from a different village less known for handling things quietly were looting or looking for something specific... chances are they'd be doing much the same thing, background be damned. Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

Kaede didn't turn her head when the other kunoichi spoke, but heard what was being said. She asked about the next plans to take since the painful meeting was over. A sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes while she thought about next plans. "Hmm." She hummed in thought. "Well, I'm not fan of bringing people back alive, but that comes later." She mentioned with a shrug.

After a minute of silence, Kaede made up her mind. "Don't know, yet." Was her response. She was someone who rather goes in blind and hopes to survive the train wreck. Though, that plan only works when she's alone but not when she's with someone, and especially if Kaede is the leader. The title was a blessing to feed her ego, but the responsibility was a damned curse.

"We can probably snoop around their camps to get a good glimpse to see what we're dealing with." Kaede suggested. It could be a good idea to see what their camps were like along with those bandits, just as long as they don't get caught in the process. If all else fails there, then it would be a good time to attack. "We could try and search for the leader while we snoop around." She suggested with a shrug. A little exploration wouldn't hurt anyone, except for the bandits possibly.

Kaede pulled out a cigarette from one of her pockets then proceeded to stick it in between her lips. However, she wasn't going to light it up just yet. "It's not the full plan, but it's a start to say the least." She explained. Turning her head to face Izumi, she then slowly raised a brow. "Unless you got another bright ideas. I think you're old enough to think for yourself, so you should have some plans of your own, or at the very least contribute instead of following my commands. 'cause hell, I sure as hell may not know what I'm doing." She added with a smirk of doubt. This was nothing more than just a small jab of jester, but her point would still stand.

CODED BY ELECTRIC

[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me It was probably a good thing that Kaede wasn't facing her since all the Jonin's first comment got was a flicker of emotion across the younger woman's face. Nothing as overt as irritation or disgust nor as easily identifiable - even Izumi herself wasn't quite sure what the feeling was, but it wouldn't be defined as "pleasant". Again, she understood the why of the older woman's distaste but didn't necessarily agree with it. Or at least she thought she understood. To prefer it out of pragmatism and to enjoy that were two entirely different things, and were it the latter they were probably going to have problems later on. Not that the follow up to that first comment and the actual answer - or rather, lack thereof - to Izumi's earlier question helped things, although there was an odd bit of comfort in knowing that Kaede was just as behind on planning as the younger woman was. Hands locking behind her head in thought, Izumi pondered on Kaede's next comments that sounded as much like answers as they were suggestions, looking for input. The first bit about snooping around the camps was pretty obvious, you couldn't do a job like this blind. As much as Izumi would've preferred jumping straight into fighting even she knew that much - while there was a fair bit of focus on taking out the mercs it was only half the job. The other half was doing it surgically. No damage to anything they might've looted from the old battlefields, and it was going to look awfully stupid if not outright incompetent if they accidentally killed the boss during the fighting, especially if he (or she) was the "do it yourself" type of guy who didn't run. The trick was going to be getting near enough to identify each target in advance, although the fact that they weren't shinobi was going to help in that regard. At least a bit. Few things hurt as much as underestimating an opponent and earning a kick to the sensitive bits because of it. What came next, though, brought Izumi to a full halt as Kaede continued to speak and turned around to face her. While the Jinchuriki's eyes would linger for a moment on the cigarette - although tongue held as the Jonin had been kind enough not to light it - her expression would quickly shift to one of slight surprise, staring at the older woman. Not what most people had usually told her in the past, to be completely honest. Hell, more often than not it had been people telling her to follow the rules, to stop asking questions and to just do what she'd been asked in the way she'd been asked. Unpredictability wasn't something that was often appreciated in plans, nor was innovation and making improvements on the fly that had the potential to change everything on the go. This told Izumi one of two things right then and there - either Kaede had never spoken to anyone who knew Izumi and didn't know her well even by reputation, or she didn't care. There was a very fine line between the two and it was often difficult to tell one from the other looking in from the outside. That said, being given the freedom to give input on how things went immediately got Izumi's mind working. Bright ideas? "Uh.... depends? How much do you like bugs and how badly do you want a look around before we risk poking around the camp in person?" Izumi replied, a slight note of hesitance in her voice as she watched Kaede for a reaction. It was a stupid fear for most people considering the crap the chunin exams alone put them through and what their job entailed, but there was good reason Izumi avoided using her summons. Aside from not really being suited for fighting in the way many summons typically were, the idea of being in close proximity to any large number of moths and tiny pale caterpillars tended to push certain buttons depending on the person. For a family with merchant roots? Such a contract was their best friend when you were selling to the wealthy and those with a shinobi background, but for shinobi themselves such summons were of questionable utility at best. Oddly enough, though, in the here and now Izumi imagined they could be more than just useful. "Assuming we wanna do things quietly before kicking any doors down I might have a way to get a good layout of the camp, and if we're lucky find who we're looking for. Can't guarantee it'll be quick, though, they're not the fastest but they don't stand out, either." Izumi continued. Depending on the size of the camp? Poor understanding of their actual flying speed aside as she had never had much need or reason to make use of the contract in the past... a handful of hours was quite possible, especially if the goal was to do it in a subtle manner and avoid people noticing. Moths were everywhere but the other potential issue was if anyone knew enough about bugs to recognize what they were - the wild variant was common enough but they hardly moved in swarms or groups, either. Kaede Yuki

made by duet of gs

[Kaede Yuki]

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[attr="class","jarbbguntext"]Kaede made a face out of curiosity, as if she was actually thinking for an answer about bugs. Was Kaede afraid of bugs? She's pretty sure she wasn't. "I mean, 'liking' bugs is bit of a stretch. I'm not scared of them, if that's what you're hinting at." She replied. Kaede wasn't a fan of then, but she definitely wasn't one to be completely scared of them. Kaede did see some interesting insects in her lifetime, though she wouldn't be proud of saying it.
[break][break]
"A layout is probably a good idea, just so we know what we're dealing with." Kaede. It was a lot better than trying to go in head first, although that would be the plan Kaede would suggest. Although the bandits weren't shinobi, it was't worth the risk. "Doesn't matter if they're fast or not. What's more important is getting the job done." She added. Looking down at the cigarette stuck between her lips, she pulled it out and shoved it back into her pocket. She was going to call for a smoke break, but Kaede would want to get this done as soon as possible. "Alright," Kaede started off.
[break][break]
"No time to waste. Lord knows those bandits are going to be at it again." She declared as she turned around and began walking towards the exit.
[break][break]
After a couple minutes, the two would manage to enter in our one of the battlefields, though just a few meters away from the camp. Multiple tents would be seen from the distance, alongside a few bandits wandering about; some were conversing while others were on duty of guarding the camp from any intruders. They fairly looked like, and as how Kaede sees it, professionals of some sort. They were armed with various weaponry, mainly katana along with a few projectiles such as kunai and shuriken. Some of them even wore mouth masks along with some armor. "Well, no doubt this is one of their camps.
And it looks like there's a lot of them too." She added. It looked like the two had to be extra careful when sneaking around.
[break][break]
"So," Kaede said as she turned her head to Izumi. "You mentioned you had a way to get a good layout of the camp?"

[attr="class","jarbbguntag"]Sumire Izumi

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[attr="class","jarbbguncred"]JARONART

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[Sumire Izumi]

the things that you might like don't grow inside of me The Jonin's response had been surprising enough, but even more offsetting was their destination. Even though it was one of the smaller ones, Yu no Kuni was still a nation in every sense of the word, not so easily crossed on foot. Given that knowledge Izumi had assumed that the place shown on the map was going to be a fair distance off, a remote location difficult to reach and that would require a fair amount of time to travel to - Kaede seemed to know where they were going, so Izumi simply followed without thinking too much about it. Her attention was more focused on how they were going to handle the problem when they arrived, not how long it was going to take to get there. So focused, in fact, that Izumi nearly sped right past Kaede as the older Jonin stopped. Were it not for Izumi's own impressive reflexes allowing the young woman to awkwardly brake and change her direction at the drop of a ryo she would have cleared the treeline while her mind was wandering, zooming straight out onto the field beyond and into clear view of the tents beyond that. "Damn, bit of warning next time?" Izumi muttered, settling back on one of the larger tree branches above and behind Kaede, expression sour as she eyed the older woman. The following comment wasn't a response, however, but an observation, and one that completely redirected Izumi's own attention. It was hard to make out from how far away they were from the tents but that was probably just as well - even from dozens, possibly a few hundred meters away it was fairly easy to make out the movement of people around the place. Organized movement, no less - definitely patrols, aside from a few groups scattered out across the field. Digging? Maybe, and it would definitely fit with what the Lord had told them. The patrols were what had Izumi's attention, though. Scattered, yes, but never alone. Just a glance told Izumi a lot - equipment aside, these guys seemed to know what they were doing. No patrol she could see was one person, all of them were either pairs or three people moving as a group - one person went down or got attacked and suddenly you'd have to simultaneously silence two other people before either one managed to yell or get off a warning to the others, and that wasn't even taking into account the other patrols. The field was fairly flat and these guys were well aware of it. While the tents obstructed sight lines directly across the camp it did nothing to block vision of the areas around it, and most of the moving patrols were able to see one if not multiple others. Even if you took out one group successfully and quietly - not an easy thing with multiple people at once - chances were pretty high that you'd just get seen by another patrol further off. "Well. Shit. They're not playing around." Izumi continued, voice deadpan as she made similar note of the mercenaries' equipment following their positioning. Considering Yugakure's stance on whoring themselves out to other nations for money and their general distaste for conflict Izumi suddenly wasn't surprised that they were having trouble with these guys. They'd only been at the edge of the field for a minute or two and Izumi was already seeing a lot of potential ways this could go wrong, and if it did things were going to get ugly fast. Lots of swords - Izumi wasn't overly concerned about that - but she also spotted one or two bows just on this side of the camp. That, and something else that had her concerned. Were a few of them unarmed? Concealed weapons, or something else? Even that didn't make any sense, though. These guys probably weren't expecting company, and this was likely just as much for show and intimidation as it was to actually defend against attack. Why hide weapons when the entire point was to scare the other guy off? It was an inconsistency, one thing that just didn't fit with everything else the picture in front of them presented. It felt off, and it was an uncomfortable feeling that Izumi wasn't able to shake. "Uh. Right. That. I've a few summons that should be able to take a look around, but I'd rather not do it now. They're going to look out of place in daylight, and I'd rather not have them take chances if they don't have to. They're not exactly suited for fighting." Izumi answered, although her eyes remained fixed on the figured slowly moving around the camp in the distance. Kaede Yuki

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